In general, a walking assist device is an instrument to assist walking of a walking trainee with walking handicap, the walking assist device which is used to help training or daily life of the walking trainee who wears it and be installed on a treadmill for the walking trainee to perform repeat walking for rehabilitation training for a walking trainee.
In the latter case, since the walking trainee performs rehabilitation training on the treadmill, a walking assist device supporting unit is necessary to install and support the walking assist device on the treadmill
A typical walking assist device supporting device suggested on the U.S. Registered Pat. No. 6,821,233 is to stabilize the walking assist device and prevent inclination in the antero-posterior and medio-lateral directions, and its shape is a parallelogram, including a lower frame which is frame shaped, a coupling unit for the walking assist device, and two carriers connecting the lower frame and the coupling unit of the walking assist device.
In the typical walking assist device supporting device, since the lower frame and the walking assist device coupling unit are coupled in a shape of a parallelogram link, the walking assist device may move up-and-down according to rehabilitation training of a walking trainee.
Meanwhile, when a walking trainee performs rehabilitation training using the walking assist device, a balance weight is installed on the treadmill coupled to a breast belt and hip belt of the walking assist device worn on the walking trainee, so as to prevent shifting weights of the walking trainee and the walking assist device to the patient. A weight of the balance weight supports own weights of the walking trainee and the walking assist device, which prevents shifting the own weight of the walking assist device to the walking trainee.
However, in the typical walking assist device supporting device, since the own weights of the walking trainee and the walking assist device is simply supported by weights of the balance weight and the treadmill belt worn on the walking trainee and, after all, the treadmill belt is directly connected to the walking trainee, the own weights of the patient and the walking assist device is shifted to the walking trainee through the treadmill belt when the walking assist device moves up-and down by the walking trainee during rehabilitation training.
In addition, a body of the walking trainee moves up-and-down in accordance with a walking of the walking trainee during rehabilitation training but, in the typical supporting device for the walking assist device, a distance between the frame and the walking trainee of is determined by a parallelogram structure and the walking assist device moves back and forth in accordance with a height change, and thus the walking trainee is not securely supported and feels uncomfortable during rehabilitation training.